From chicken spots to movie theaters, here are some Midlands businesses that closed in 2022

It’s hard to say goodbye.

That can be true of relationships with friends and family, but it’s also true when it comes to the businesses that are a part of the fabric of the community.

While the Columbia and Lexington area welcomed many new businesses in 2022, there also were numerous spots that, for any number of reasons, closed their doors. From longtime bars to chicken wing shops to movie theaters and beyond, there were a host of retail establishments that exited the scene during the year.

What follows is a list of some of the restaurants, shops and other places of business that closed in 2022. To be sure, it is not an exhaustive, comprehensive list, but rather a sampling of some of the places we lost.

A Vista bakery shut its doors. Cupcake DownSouth, located at 1213 Lincoln St., closed in December. The company also shuttered its Mount Pleasant store.

The 1801 Grille located at 700 Lincoln St. in the Vista closed in late December. However, the University of South Carolina, which owns the building, said the restaurant will reopen sometime in early 2023 with a different operator. It will be called Angell Bros. 1801 Grille.

One of Columbia’s first craft breweries, Swamp Cabbage, closed in December after eight years in business. It was located at 921 Brookwood Drive near Williams-Brice Stadium.

Over on Rosewood Drive, the Philly Pretzel Factory planned to close up shop by the end of the year. It opened in 2019 in the shopping center anchored by a Publix at 2800 Rosewood.

Say it ain’t so: The Whig, a legendary dive bar that had been located in the basement of the building at 1200 Main St. for 17 years, closed in November. That building is now being developed for a Marriott Moxy brand hotel.

After 73 years in business, Constan Car Wash on Gervais Street closed in November. The business had once been home to a live tiger named Happy.

The Harbison shopping area lost a restaurant in September when Willie Sue’s Food and Spirits shut its doors. It was located at 380 Columbiana Drive. A Willie Sue’s location in Sumter remains open.

There was a taco double take on Harbison Boulevard. The Del Taco at 145 Harbison Blvd. closed for good in early September. However, competitor Taco Bell took over the property and is prepping a new restaurant there.

Curtain call: The AMC Classic Columbia 10 movie theater at 5320 Forest Drive closed in September. Meanwhile, the AMC theater at Dutch Square mall also briefly closed, but a different cinema company, Bow Tie Management, came in and reopened it.

The grills stopped sizzling, at least for now, at one Midlands Rush’s restaurant. The local burger-and-chicken chain announced in August it was temporarily closing its location at 5101 Sunset Blvd. in Lexington because of labor shortage issues. As of Dec. 27, it remained closed.

A Kitty’s Hallmark store at 5580 Sunset Blvd, suite C, in Lexington closed in late July. It carried cards, collectibles and more. Meanwhile, the Kitty’s Hallmark shop at 6185 St. Andrews Road remains open.

A wing spot in northeast Columbia flew the coop. The Wild Wing Cafe at 480 Town Center Place in the Village at Sandhill development, closed in late July.

A furniture shop in West Columbia shuttered in July. Studio 221 Interiors closed its location at 536 Meeting St., not far from the Gervais Street Bridge.

Shaved snow shop Vampire Penguin closed its Columbia location at 106 Percival Road. A Vampire Penguin spot on Sunset Boulevard in Lexington remains open.

The Regal Columbia 7 movie theater on top of the Richland Mall at 3400 Forest Drive closed in February. It had been open for 32 years.

A longtime pizza chain location closed in Lexington. Uno Pizzeria and Grill at 5304 Sunset Blvd. closed on April 24. It had been open for 19 years. There is now a Habit Burger Grill restaurant being built on that site.

West Columbia healthy meal prep business PRIMAL, originally Primal Gourmet, closed in April after six years in business. It was at 725 Meeting St. Other businesses in that same facility, such as Brickhouse Gourmet Coffee and Teas, remained open.

Jason’s Deli closed its sandwich shop at 823 Gervais St. in the Vista. It had been there for more than 10 years.

Columbia coffee shop Drip on Main closed its doors at 1441 Main St. after nearly a decade in business. The Drip location in Five Points remains open. There is now a new location of Spotted Salamander operating in the former Drip on Main Space.